In-line clasp connector



March 13, 1956 l. F. MATTHYssE 2,738,477

IN-LINE CLASP CONNECTOR Filed Aug. 21, 1951 l0@ 32a 26 21@ f@ 22 22a, 3f/0 JQJMZM/ ATTORNEY IN-LINE CLASP CONNECTOR Irving Frederick Matthysse,New York, N. Y., assignor to Bumdy Engineering Company, Inc., acorporation of New York Application August 21, 1951, Serial No. 242,872

' s claims. (c1. 339-47) My invention relates to connectors and moreparticularly to clasp connectors which can be longitudinally andpositively locked and unlocked.

In my prior application 528,991, led March 31, 1944,- of which thispresent invention is an improvement, I disclose a clasp type connectorhaving identical halves each composed of a ferrule and an nitegrallyextending at blade having a transversely bent over clip. The connectionis made by placing one blade on the other in a crisscross position,substantially at right angles, pivoting the halves until they arealigned, and thereafter pulling the halves until the clips abut eachother to prevent further longitudinal separation.

While this connector functions satisfactorily in many respects and ispresently used in large quantities, it requires considerable slack inthe connecting wires to permit the jack-kning action. In addition, thistype ofconnector requires adequate lateral space to permit crossing onehalf over the other.

Accordingly, a principal object of my invention is to provide aconnector in which the counterpart halves can be connected anddisconnected substantially along the longitudinal axis therebyeliminating the need for considerable slack in the wires and lateralclearance for movement of the parts.

In the prior jack-knife connectors, the counterpart halves could not becompletely insulated prior to making the connection as the connectinghalves had to be free of insulation in order to permit the necessarylateral movement. The insulation for the connection was usually in theform of a loose elastic sleeve pushed back over one of the conductorsuntil the counterpart halves were con-- nected andthen pulled over thecompleted connection to provide the necessary insulation.

Therefore another important object of my invention is to provide aconnector in which the counterpart halves may be insulated prior tomaking the connection, and which insulation may be grasped duringdisconnection.

The insulation may additionally serve as a means to guide the bladesinto engagement.

`Further objects of my invention are to provide a connector havingcounterpart halves that are longitudinally self-aligned into lockingposition when the halves are pushed together; to provide a connectorwherein the connector halves are positively locked against longitudinalseparation or vibration; to provide a supplemental lock-v ing means toprevent accidental separation; and to provide a connector which has aminimum of parts, free of springs or the like, and which can be easilyand economically fabricated of sheet material.

I accomplish these and other objects and obtain my new results as willbe apparent from the device described in the following specification,particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying' drawing', in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a connectorhalf;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the counterpart halves, partially in section,attached to their respective conductors, each.

connector half inserted in the other with the edges of the' clipportions engaging to start the self-aligning action;

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the connector halves corn-v pletelyinserted in one another and aligned along their longitudinal centerline;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the connector halves locked together afterbeing pulled longitudinally;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan View of the connection in Fig. 5, the connectorhalves being provided with insulation jackets abutting to form a sealedconnection; the insulation shown in section;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of therconnectionV in Fig. 5 takenalong line 7%7; and

Fig. 8 is a modified connector half where its insulation jacket forms aguide means when the connector halves are being assembled. p

In the drawings, reference numeral l10 designates a connector half madeof the conventional conductive material, such as copper, having aferrule portion 12 which may be Y indented to the bared end 14 of aninsulated conductor 16.

blade, and may be integrally attached to the blade along i an obliqueline forming .a clip base 28 slanting outwardly toward the free end ofthe blade. The slanted clip base 28 acts to guide the free end of thecounterpart blade longitudinally when the parts are pushed together. Thehook 26 is formed by a recessed portion or slot 30 having 1 l obliquesides that conform substantially to the base 28 of a counterpart clipwhich it engages. A hump 32 is upset on the clip side of the bladebetween the clip and the ferrule, and engages the rounded end of thecounterpart blade forming a supplemental locking means when the partsare interengaged, as is shown in Fig. 5.

A cam face 34 integrally formed along the blade 22 on the side oppositethe clip portion 24 projects suiiciently above the blade surface toguide the rounded end of the counterpart blade in longitudinal alignmentwhen inserted. The cam face also functions as a stop and preventsseparation of the blades if they are accidently disengaged. The leadingedges of the clips 24 and the rounded free ends of the blades may bebeveled to facilitate entry of the parts and the camming action.

Figures 3-6 inclusive illustrate the identical connector halves 10 and10a respectively, the corresponding parts of the-connector half 10abeing similarly identified, in various lstages of engagement.

Each connector half 10 and 10a are longitudinally brought together withthe free ends 25 and 25a of the respective blades inserted under thecorresponding clips 24a and 24. This movement causes a wiping actionbetweenA the at or plane surfacesof the blades and the clips and insuresa good electrical contact. As the blades are forced together, 4theirfree ends may engage the inner surfaces of the bases 28 and 28arespectively, on the clips which guide the blades slightly off thelongitudinal centerline of the connector to their interlocking position.The cams 34 and 34a guide the blade when it is too far out of-alignmenton the other side of the connector halves and cam it into lockingposition upon continued insertion.

As will be noted in Fig. 8, an insulation jacket aids in maintainingthis alignment.

When the forward edges of the bases 28 and 28a of the clips tirstengage, as; seen in Fig. 3, the connector halves are fully inserted, andupon further longitudinal Patented Mar.v 13, 1956k pressure theconnector halves move upon one another in a self-aligning action. Thefree lends of the blades are moved-until the hooks 26 and 26a arealigned with their respective bases 28 and 28a on the clips. In thisposition the free ends of the blades` have slid over the humps 32 and32a, which additionally insure a wiping action between blades and clipsby springing the blade ends slightly .away from each other.

The connection is completed b y a longitudinal pull on the connectorhalves causing the hooks to slide longitudinally and acting as a catch,engage the bases of the clips, as illustrated in Fig. 5. As shown `inFigs. and 6 the `attached connector halves are in complete longitudinnalalignment. The oblique Asides of the slots 30 and 30a snugly engage thecorrespondingly vshaped bases .of the clips. In this position the humpsare adjacent the blades and bear against the edges thereof to preventaccidental separation. If the yhook 26 and 26a are loosened from theirrespective clips for any reason, the cam faces 34 and 34a will preventrelease of the parts until the connector halves are manually adjusted topermit separation.

Unless this manual adjustment occurs, a longitudinal pull on theconnector halves will cause the hooks to re-engage with their respectivebases. Therefore, in order to disconnect the connector halves they mustbe pushed together to unlatch the hooks, against the resistance offeredby the humps and then slightly adjusted laterally'to enable the hooks toclear the base portions of the clips.

In Fig. 6 the connector parts are provided with .insulation jackets 36and 36a which may be mounted over insulation `sleeves 38and 38a, made ofnylon or the like, through which the ferrule portions 12 and 12a ,may beindented to the .bared end of the conductor, as is for example shown anddescribed in .Patent No. 2,429,585 issued to J. 'Rogoff In the presentconstruction, each insulation jacket may be pre-assembled on eachconnector half allowing suticient 'space on the sleeve lfor indentingthe ferrule to the conductor through the sleeve. Ifthe insulationjackets are made of suitable indentable material, the `insulation sleevemay be omitted, and the jacket made to extend over the ferrule portionof the connector half for identation thereto.

Each insulation jacket 'extends toward the free end of the bladesufficiently to cover the clip portion allowing the remaining portion ofthe blade to be bare for insertion into the counterpart connector half.If the insulation is made of resilient `material -the ends of thejackets may be shaped in the form of lips 39 `and '39a which resilientlyabut one another and provide a sealed connection. If the insulationjackets are of a rigid material the ends of the jackets maybe lapped.

When resilient insulation jackets 40 are utilized as shown in Fig. v8,the cam faces v34 and 34a may be omitted, for the insulation jacketkwill press the blades of the connector halves into proper alignment.The reversed action will be required for separation. The blade 42 -inthis modification is shown with a shoulder 44 formed normal to thelongitudinal axis which abuts the counterpart of clip 46. The insulationjacket 40 may extend around the outer end of the clip 46 to be anchored'thereto as at 48.

In providing a hook at the end of each blade member of a clasp type ofconnector, I can lock the connector halves together by a push-pullmovement without a kning or wristlock movement. The locking means of thecounterpart connector halves are self aligning when the connector halvesare longitudinally pushed together, so that a -subsequent pull will lockthe pal-ts. As little side lmotion is required, lI can insulate eachconnector half prior to .making the connection with an insulation jacket.that will not interfere vwith the Amaking or breaking of theconnection. Each connector ,half

will be locked securely in position and cannot be separated byapplication of a longitudinal force in either direction or by severevibration. I can utilize the bentover clips to insure a trm electricalengagement between the blades of the connector halves, and form ananchorage for the hook portions of the blades. The connector halves maybe identically fabricated of sheet metal or tubular stock which featurefacilitates production and minimizes storage of dilferent parts.

l have thus described my invention, but .l desire it understood that itis not conned to the particular forms or uses shown and described, thesame being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carriedout in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention,and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalentinstrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and bymeans of which, objects of my invention are attained and new resultsaccomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments hereinshown and described are only some of the many that can be employed toattain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim:

l. A separable connector which comprises a blade portion and a ferruleportion adapted to be secured to a wire, said blade having a planesurface portion adapted to lie in face-to-face contact with thecorresponding portion of a counterpart connector when interengaged. anupraised portion adjacent an edge of the blade, and means extending froman edge of the blade portion and adapted to press the plane surfaceportion of the counterpart blade into contact therewith as thecounterpart blade is longitudinally inserted therebetween, at engagingmeans in the blade and formed in the shape of a hook and lying yin theplane surface portion of the blade at the end of the blade to engage anupraised portion of the counterpart connector positioned adjacent theedge thereof to lock the connectors against separation.

.2. A Aseparable connector which comprises a blade portion :and aferrule portion adapted to be secured to a wire, said blade having aplane surface portion adapted to be in face-to-face contact with thecorresponding portion of a counterpart connector when interengaged, anupraised portion adjacent an edge of the blade, and means extending froman edge of the blade portion and adapted to press lthe plane surfaceportion of the counterpart blade into contact therewith as thecounterpart blade is inserted therebetween, said blade having vatransverse recessed portion formed in and lying in the plane ofthe bladeand adapted to engage an upraised portion of the counterpart connectorto lock the connectors positioned adjacent the edge thereof againstseparation.

'3. A separable connector which comprises a blade portion and a ferruleportion adapted to be secured to a wire, said lblade having a planesurface portion adapted to lie in face-to-face contact with thecorresponding portion of a counterpart connector when interengaged, aclip extending from an edge of the blade portion and adapted to lpressthe plane surface portion of the counterpart blade into contact as thecounterpart blade is longitudinally inserted herebetween, said bladehaving a recessed portion lying in the plane surface of the blade fromthe same edge as the clip, and adapted to engage the clip of thecounterpart blade to lock the connectors against separation, and a camportion projecting from the oppofur.

to press the plane surface portion of the counterpart blade into contacttherewith as the counterpart blade is longitudinally insertedtherebetween, said clip connected to its blade along a line oblique tothe longitudinal centerline of the connector and directed laterallyoutwardly toward the end of the blade to guide the counterpart bladeinto engagement therewith, hook-like means lying in the plane surfaceportion and at the end of the counterpart blade to engage said clip.

5. A separable connector which comprises a blade portion and a ferruleportion adapted to be secured to a wire, said blade having a planesurface portion adapted to lie in face-to-face contact with acounterpart connector when interengaged, a clip extending from an edgeof the blade portion and adapted to press the plane surface portion ofthe counterpart blade into contact therewith as the counterpart blade isinserted therebetween, catch means in the form of a hook at the end ofthe blade and lying in and movable on the plane surface to engage theclip of the counterpart connector and lock the connectors againstseparation, and a exible insulation jacket mounted on the ferrule andextending over the blade to cover the clip, and adapted to non-rotatablyengage the insulation jacket of the counterpart connector, whereby acounterpart connector and insulating jacket may be locked thereto by amovement only in the plane surface of the blade portion.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

